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The country’s largest luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz India, is facing supply chain challenges at a time when the demand is quite high because of festive season and the upcoming marriage period.
“Growth has been expanding from August to November (because of festive season) and now I am told that it will extend further because in the North, it is the wedding season. So, even after Diwali, we don’t expect demand to come down. But we have a challenge right now with supply chain with mild hybrid batteries,” Santosh Iyer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mercedes-Benz India, told businessline on the sidelines of new launches here.
Also read: Mercedes-Benz India sells 12,768 in January-September
He said because of these 48-volt mild-hybrid batteries, which most of Mercedes cars have now, the company produced less number of cars here than what it could sell. In the January-September period this year, the company delivered 12,768 units at a growth of 11 per cent over the same period last year.
“That’s putting stress on us and the customers because it’s a peak buying month… but having said that, we are still sitting on 3,000 units plus order bank and customers are ready to wait for the cars they purchased. We are also trying to engage them during this waiting period,” Iyer said.
Iyer clarified that the issue has nothing to do with the geopolitical conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war or Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Fundamentally, he said, the core issue is that most of the Mercedes’ new cars are going into mild hybrids, so demand for these batteries and components are going up globally.
Also read: Mercedes-Benz India introduces second EV SUV
New launches
The company launched two new products to light up the festive season — new GLE LWB SUV and AMG C43 4MATIC sedan – priced at ₹96.40 lakh and ₹98 lakh (all-India ex-showroom) respectively.
The new GLE range introduces a host of upgrades with a refined interior and exterior, as well as an expanded technology and equipment list. It will be offered in three powertrain options – GLE 300d 4MATIC, GLE 450d 4MATIC, and GLE 450 4MATIC. While the GLE 300d 4MATIC and the GLE 450 4MATIC will be available immediately, the GLE 450d deliveries will start later from January, the company said.
Similarly, the new AMG C43 4MATIC features the AMG 2-litre four-cylinder engine, the world’s first series-production unit to feature an electric-exhaust gas turbocharger. This new form of turbocharging guarantees particularly spontaneous response across the entire rev range, offering an even more dynamic driving experience.
The new turbocharging system and the 48-volt onboard electrical system not only contribute to the outstanding driving dynamics of the C43 4MATIC, but also improve the car’s efficiency, the company added.
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